Abby Gets a Cochlear Implant

Abby Gets a Cochlear Implant by Maureen Cassidy Riski. ISBN: 0981648606. This children's picture book illustrates the process of how Abby gets a cochlear implant. Abby, who wears purple hearing aids, has a progressive hearing loss and her family chooses a cochlear implant for her. The story goes on to describe hearing testing, cochlear implants and the steps a family would take to explore this option of habilitation for their child who has hearing loss.

A Button in Her Ear by Ada Bassett Litchfield. ISBN: 0807509876. Reading Level: Ages 4-8. A picture book. Angela, a young girl with a hearing loss, describes how her hearing loss was detected, and talks about her audiologic examination, the hearing aid fitting, and how her hearing aid helps her. She explains that she now misunderstands speech only occasionally and states that she can turn off her hearing aid when she doesn't want to listen to her friend, Buzzie.

A Dance to Still Music by Barbara Corcoran

Deafened by an illness, fourteen-year-old Margaret refuses to accept her condition and runs away in fear that her mother's remarriage may mean she'll be sent to a boarding school for the deaf.

Amelia Lends a Hand by Marissa Moss

Amelia had expected to have a quiet summer, but instead she makes friends with a deaf boy who moves in next door, deals with her grouchy older sister, has an asthma attack, and goes to a family reunion. Features hand-printed text and drawings and thirty-two sign language flash cards.

Annie, who has been nearly deaf since she was seven, must leave her school and be mainstreamed into a public high school, an adjustment which she finds difficult but ultimately not impossible to handle.

A Place for Grace by Jean Davies Okimoto. ISBN: 157061069X. Reading level: Ages 9-12. Grace is a little dog with big dreams. After discovering she's too small to become a seeing-eye dog, she meets Charlie, a deaf man who believes Grace would make the ideal hearing-aid dog. Grace provides an inspiring model for any child facing obstacles at school or at home. It can also help children appreciate people with disabilities and give readers the opportunity to learn the American Sign Language alphabet.

Apple Is My Sign by Mary Riskind. ISBN: 0395657474. Reading Level: Young Adult. Harry, a 10-year-old deaf child of deaf parents who own a Pennsylvania apple farm, is sent to a residential school in Philadelphia around the turn of the century. Wary of hearing people, Harry's father always keeps his family separated from them. The family is changed, however, when Harry comes home from school at Christmas and shares what he has learned from his classmates.

A Season of Change by Lois Hodge Age young adult

Everyone, it seems, in 13-going-on-14-year-old Biney Richmond’s life treats her as though she should be wrapped in cotton and set on a shelf. Her mom and dad act as though she can’t do things for herself. The only one who seems to have any confidence in her is her best friend Pat. When Pat’s older brother, Gene - who secretly wants to date Biney - gets in trouble, Biney proves to everyone, including herself, how grown up she is.

A Very Special Friend by Dorothy Levi. ISBN: 0930323556. Ages 4-8. A picture book. Frannie is sad because she has no friends. When she meets Laura, who uses sign language, she becomes even sadder because she thinks she can't talk to Laura. Laura teaches Frannie sign language, and they are best friends by the end of the summer.
A Very Special Sister by Dorothy H. Levi. ISBN: 0930323963. Reading Level: Baby-Preschool. Laura, who is deaf, is excited about becoming a big sister, but she worries that a new baby who can hear might get more love from their mother than she does. She later tells her mother why she is so sad, and her mother gives a tender answer, perfect for Laura and all the children reading about her who also might be afraid of being displaced by a new sibling.

As a child, Thomas Gallaudet was sickly and often left behind by his peers. In spite of these obstacles, with his incredible determination and sharp intellect, he became an innovator in the education of the deaf in the United States. This story follows episodes from his childhood, his work with Alice Cogswell which lead to study of deaf education in France, and eventual development of American Sign Language.

Balancing Act by Virginia Scott Age young adult

How do you go on your dream trip to Egypt and share a hotel room with a new stepsister who despises you and calls you awful names? To complicate things, she isn’t deaf, but she doesn’t hear quite right either.

Becky by Karen Hirsch. ISBN: 0876141440. Ages 9-12. Becky, a young deaf girl, lives with a hearing family during the week while attending a school for deaf students. The family learns sign language and becomes sensitive to deafness. The book is written from the point of view of a girl in this family.

Belonging by Virginia M. Scott.ISBN: 0930323335. Reading Level: Young Adult. The world of Gustie Blaine changes dramatically in the summer of her fifteenth year. That's when Gustie contracts meningitis, which results in the gradual loss of her hearing. Some peers, once thought of as her friends, eliminate her from their group, but new friendships help her overcome this disappointment. After a few months, Gustie begins to accept and adjust to her loss of hearing.
Breakaway by Ruth Hallman Ages 12-15

Kate and her boyfriend Rob who has recently become deaf run away to Georgia where Rob can learn to live independently without interference from his mother.

Bringing Up Sophie by LK Kinglsey

In this beginning signing book, Mike, who is Deaf, and his family are raising Sophie, a puppy destined to become a service dog for the disabled. As Mike and his hearing friend Pete play with and train Sophie, they also learn to communicate with one another using both signs and speech. 24 signs to learn and puppy to enjoy!

Buttons: The Dog Who Was More Than a Friend by Linda Yeatman. ISBN: 0812039564. Ages 9-12. When Buttons, a mixed breed puppy is first taken from his home on a farm to live with a family, he is very lonely and homesick. He quickly develops a strong bond with the family, however, particularly with Phillip, the youngest boy in the family, who is deaf. Buttons has many happy experiences with the family until one day, while chasing a rabbit during a family picnic, he gets lost. While looking for his family, Buttons is found by a nice woman who decides to take him to an animal shelter. There, Buttons is chosen to be trained as a hearing ear dog for deaf people. When Buttons completes his training he is taken to the home of the family with whom he will live and work. When Buttons arrives to meet his "new family," everyone is in for a happy surprise.

Can You Feel the Thunder by Lynn E. McElfresh. ISBN: 068982324X. Ages 9-12. Thirteen-year-old Mic Parsons struggles with mixed feelings about his deaf and blind sister while at the same time he makes his way through the turmoils of junior high.
Can You Hear a Rainbow? By Jamee Heelan Ages 6-10

Chris, who's about 10 years old, explains how he uses sign language, hearing aids, lip reading, and other visual clues to compensate for his condition. He compares himself to both a hearing friend and a deaf one, pointing out similarities and differences.

Ceasar: On Deaf Ears by Loren Spiotta-Dimare. ISBN: 1882728882. Reading Level: 4-8. Based on a true story. It is an endearing story of a deaf puppy who is given a second chance to become someone's beloved pet, rather than being "put to sleep" as an unadoptable stray. It is shows the triumph of determination, on the part of his human companion, to train Ceasar despite his handicap.

Cheshire Moon by Nancy Butts. ISBN: 1886910081. Reading Level: Ages 9-12. A chapter book. After the death of her best friend, a twelve-year-old hearing-impaired girl faces the choice of self-destruction through denial and withdrawal or self-acceptance in the real, hearing world.

Child of the Silent Night by Edith Fisher Hunter. ISBN: 0395068355. Reading level: Ages 9-12. The story of Laura Bridgman, the first deaf and blind child to be taught to communicate with the outside world, some fifty years before Helen Keller.

Chris Gets Ear Tubes by Betty Pace. ISBN: 093032336X. Reading Level: Ages 4-8. Chris has chronic ear infections that begin to affect his hearing. He goes to the hospital for a minor operation; the doctor inserts tiny tubes to drain the fluid from his middle hear and to improve his hearing.

Cosmo Gets an Ear by Gary Clemente

This is a sweet story about a little boy getting a hearing aid and all of the issues surrounding that for most children. Explains on a child's level what happens when Cosmo must get a hearing aid. How Cosmo's hearing loss was first detected as well as visits to the audiologist are described in a very comical manner. The story is written in a way that the reader or listener can interact by answering multiple-choice questions along the way. Cosmo goes from having no idea what a hearing aid is to talking with his friend about it and finally to realizing the benefit he receives when wearing his hearing aid. Hearing aid care is also shown in the story. Cosmo speaks to his class about his hearing aid and explains his hearing is helping him hear like glasses help people see - ear glasses.

Cousin’s Challenge by Wanda Brunstetter

After a serious van accident leaves Amish school-teacher Jolene Yoder profoundly deaf, she leaves home to learn how to read lips and communicate with sign language. But two years later, a family with children who have been deaf since birth moves to Jolene’s hometown, and she is asked to return as their teacher. Lonnie Hershberger has lost faith in God and in women ever since his girlfriend broke up with him when he lost his hearing during an explosion. When he starts falling in love with Jolene, he worries how he can ever protect her if he can’t hear. Besides, Jake Beechy seems to spend all his spare time with her. Ella Miller knows Jake’s history with girls and fears he will break her cousin Jolene’s heart. What she doesn’t know is that Jake is fighting his growing attraction to Ella. What drastic measures will God take to break the barriers between these young lovers—and teach them to hear the voice of love?

Crocodile Meatloaf by Nancy Simpson Levene. ISBN: 0781400007. Reading Level: Ages 4-8. A chapter book. As she becomes friends with Rachel, a deaf girl who has joined her sixth grade class, Alex begins to feel that God has given her a mission to protect Rachel from the boy who is tormenting her.

Dad and Me in the Morning by Patricia Lakin. ISBN: 0807514195. Reading Level: Ages 4-8. A picture book. Early one morning, when it is still dark, a young boy wakes to his special alarm clock. He puts on his hearing aid and his clothes, then goes to wake his father. Together they walk down to the beach. Jacob cannot hear, so he and his father sign or lip-read or just squeeze each other's hands.
The Day We Met Cindy by Anne Marie Starowitz. ISBN: 0930323432. Reading Level: Ages 4-8. When Chad's deaf Aunt Cindy comes to pick him up from school one day, he is afraid the other children will laugh at her. Instead, the class starts a new learning experience, with Cindy teaching them sign language. The drawings by this first grade class illustrate the many things they learn from Cindy

Deaf Child Crossing by Marlee Matlin Ages 9-12.

And so began a special summer in which Megan and Cindy discovered how to combine their hearing and deaf worlds to create a special friendship. Throughout the storyline, the girls experienced the routine of integrating the hearing with the deaf, and deal with the emotions that come with this type of relationship - surprises, joy, compassion, confusion, hurt, anger, and most of all understanding. Given the advice from their mothers, their experiences at summer camp, and the added aggravation of Megan's brother, the girls just might become "best friends forever.”

The Deaf Musicians by Pete Seeger Ages 4-8

Poor Lee! He used to be a jazzman who could make the piano go yimbatimba- TANG--zang-zang. But now he's lost his hearing, and the bandleader had to let him go. So Lee goes to a school for the deaf to learn sign language. There, he meets Max, who used to play the sax. Riding the subway to class, they start signing about all the songs they love. A bass player named Rose joins in and soon they've got a little sign language band. And in no time they're performing for audiences in the subway, night after night.

Deaf Smith: Scout, Spy, and Texas Hero by Jo Harper. ISBN: 1571680632. In colloquial and simple language, Houston author Jo Harper recreated the life of Erastus Smith who walked to Texas from Mississippi with his hornless cows and consumption. Erastus was always known as "Deaf" or "El Sordo" in Spanish because he could not hear.
Dear Dr. Bell Your Friend Helen Keller by Judith St. George. ISBN: 0688128149. Reading Level: Young Adult. Follows the parallel lives of Helen Keller and Alexander Graham Bell, who continued to encounter and support each other from that eventful meeting when he recommended she be given a teacher and thus led her to Annie Sullivan.

Dina the Deaf Dinosaur by Carole Addabbo. ISBN: 1889262048. Reading Level: Ages 4-8. Dina, a deaf dinosaur, runs away from home because her parents will not let her learn sign language even though it would allow her to communicate more complicated ideas. In the forest Dina meets Otto the owl, Camilla the chipmunk, and Moliere the mole. Fortunately, Otto learned some sign language years before when he lived below a deaf dove. Dina teaches them the sign language alphabet and a few words. They invited her to stay with them.

Discovering Friendship by Sharona Kadish. ISBN: 0811444589.

When Kimberly, who is hearing impaired, joins her sixth-grade class, Samantha befriends her and learns sign language.

Do You Hear Me? By Maxwell Schneider Ages adult

An amusing collection of stories, jokes, cartoons and anecdotes that let you laugh at situations encountered by those who are hard of hearing.

Doggy Dare by Ben Baglio Ages 8-12

Joey, a new boy in class, is deaf. He wants a dog more than anything, but his mother won't allow it. When a stray dog keeps following Joey around, Mandy thinks the dog can be taught to help him. But can the stray be trained? Do Mandy

and James dare to try?

Duchess : A Story in Words and Sign Language by Joan Marie Loreto. ISBN: 0939331012. Reading Level: Baby-Preschool. Duchess is the story of a young deaf boy and his dog, Duchess. The boy attends a hearing school where some of his friends are learning sign language. When his class begins to learn some songs that they will perform at a school show, the boy learns the songs in sign language. He practices signing the songs to Duchess every night. On the night of the show, the boy gets very nervous on stage and forgets the signs. Then he remembers his many practice sessions with Duchess and is able to sign as his classmates sign.

Elana's Ears, or How I Became the Best Big Sister in the World by Gloria Roth Lowell. ISBN: 1557987025. Lacey's luxurious life as an "only dog" changes the day Mom and Dad bring home a new baby. While Lacey goes through all of the confusion and upset that any child feels when presented with a new sister or brother, she eventually starts to like having baby Elana around, and even tries to teach her a favorite hobby: barking. But when Elana takes no notice of all the noise, Lacey realizes that Elana can't hear, and she vows to become "Elana's ears"— and the best big sister in the world.

Fastest Woman on Earth by Alida M. Thacher. ISBN: 0817220593. Reading Level: Ages 9-12. Traces the life of stunt woman and daredevil Kitty O'Neal. O'Neil, who became deaf at the age of four months and who was raised orally, has worked as a stunt woman in many popular television shows and movies. As a stunt woman she has broken several records and performed many firsts. She was the first woman to be accepted as a member of the exclusive professional organization, Stunts Unlimited.

Flying Fingers Club

Flying Fingers Club by Jean F. Andrews. ISBN: 0930323440. Ages 9-12. The 2 main characters in this series are Donald (learning disabled) and Matt (deaf). Nine year old Donald isn't looking forward to a new school year in a new city without his old friend, Jackie. On his first day of school, he meets Matt, who is deaf. Donald learns some signs, and the two boys become friends. When Jackie comes to visit, the three boys embark on an adventure to investigate why newspapers are disappearing from Donald's sister's newspaper route. This book is out of print.

Ghost of Tomahawk Creek (Flying Fingers Club) by Jean F. Andrews. ISBN: 1883120012. Ages 9-12. The 2 main characters in this series are Donald (learning disabled) and Matt (deaf). This book is out of print.

Haste Luego, San Diego (Flying Fingers Club) by Jean F. Andrews. ISBN: 0930323831. Reading Level: Ages 9-12. The 2 main characters in this series are Donald (learning disabled) and Matt (deaf). Mystery solving duo of the Flying Fingers Club take a trip to San Diego with Donald's mother and sister, Susan. The first evening in their hotel, they meet the mysterious Hector, a young boy who is covered with bumps and bruises that he refuses to explain. During the course of their California visit, the two boys solve the mystery of the stolen cockatoos and learn a solemn lesson about child abuse.

Secret in the Dorm Attic (Flying Fingers Club) by Jean F. Andrews. ISBN: 0930323661. Ages 9-12. The 2 main characters in this series are Donald (learning disabled) and Matt (deaf). While visiting his friend, Matt, at Matt's residential school for deaf students, Donald notices some strange happenings in the dormitory's attic. Donald and Matt of the Flying Fingers Club, and their new friend, Saleem, a recent transfer to the residential school from Pakistan, begin solving the case of a missing necklace. During his visit, Donald learns quite a bit about American Sign Language and about feeling left out, and all the boys in Matt's dorm learn a valuable lesson about accepting differences among people.